Is It A Good Thing That 90210, Gossip Girl & Dollhouse Get 40+% of Demo Viewing By DVR?

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For the week of March 30 – April 5, 2009, 4 shows (90210, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, Gossip Girl and Dollhouse) had more than 40% of their adults 18-49 demo viewing by DVR. And most of that DVR viewing was after the airdate. Is that fact good for the shows or bad?

Since TV advertising is sold/measured based on the average commercial minute watched within 3 days of airdate (also referred to as C3 or C+3 ratings), and the very limited amount of data we have seen suggests that for most shows their Live+SD program rating and their C+3 ratings are very similar, my conclusion is that DVR viewing beyond the Live+SD time period has little advertising value. Since it has little advertising value it contributes very little value to the show. Of course, you’d rather have DVR viewers than no viewers, but on balance I think it’s a bad thing for the shows.

That’s something to think about as your browse the DVR viewing stats for the week. Remember that the first table below contains adults 18-49 demo program ratings, and the other two contain average viewership data.

–
The 18-49 Demo Increase From DVR Viewing ranks which of the Top 150 broadcast shows [by Live+7 viewers] had the % of increase in viewing by DVR in their adults 18-49 Live+7 audience numbers from viewers watching shows later on their digital video recorders (DVRs).
–Largest DVR Audiences for Broadcast TV Shows:

Rank

Programs

Net

Persons Live (000s)

Persons Live+SD (000s)

Persons Live+7 (000s)

Same Day DVR Viewers (000s)

Total DVR Viewers (000s)

% of All Viewing By DVR

% of DVR Viewing On Airdate

1

AMERICAN IDOL-TUE

FOX

20,826

24,478

26,016

3,652

5,190

19.9%

70.4%

2

AMERICAN IDOL-WED

FOX

21,423

24,431

25,652

3,008

4,229

16.5%

71.1%

3

HOUSE

FOX

10,424

12,538

14,476

2,114

4,052

28.0%

52.2%

4

LOST

ABC

7,854

9,582

11,361

1,728

3,507

30.9%

49.3%

5

24

FOX

9,626

11,306

12,911

1,680

3,285

25.4%

51.1%

6

THE MENTALIST

CBS

15,636

16,963

18,707

1,327

3,071

16.4%

43.2%

7

HEROES

NBC

5,246

6,436

8,121

1,190

2,875

35.4%

41.4%

8

NCIS

CBS

16,088

17,230

18,952

1,142

2,864

15.1%

39.9%

9

CSI

CBS

13,676

14,601

16,493

925

2,817

17.1%

32.8%

10

SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS

CBS

9,809

11,268

12,303

1,459

2,494

20.3%

58.5%

11

TWO AND A HALF MEN

CBS

13,426

14,560

15,903

1,134

2,477

15.6%

45.8%

12

BONES

FOX

8,128

9,291

10,573

1,163

2,445

23.1%

47.6%

13

BIG BANG THEORY

CBS

8,340

9,764

10,613

1,424

2,273

21.4%

62.6%

14

E.R.

NBC

15,440

16,407

17,553

967

2,113

12.0%

45.8%

15

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

CBS

8,089

9,204

10,047

1,115

1,958

19.5%

56.9%

16

DANCING WITH THE STARS

ABC

19,157

20,500

21,095

1,343

1,938

9.2%

69.3%

17

CSI: MIAMI

CBS

12,886

13,474

14,824

588

1,938

13.1%

30.3%

18

MEDIUM

NBC

6,697

7,308

8,598

611

1,901

22.1%

32.1%

19

BIGGEST LOSER

NBC

7,720

8,780

9,566

1,060

1,846

19.3%

57.4%

20

HELL’S KITCHEN

FOX

6,084

7,045

7,925

961

1,841

23.2%

52.2%

–
The Largest DVR Audiences ranks which of the Top 150 broadcast shows [by Live+7 viewers] had the largest number average viewers by DVR in their Live+7 audience numbers from viewers watching shows later on their digital video recorders (DVRs).
–Greatest % Of DVR Viewing for Broadcast TV Shows:

Rank

Programs

Net

Persons Live (000s)

Persons Live+SD (000s)

Persons Live+7 (000s)

Same Day DVR Viewers (000s)

Total DVR Viewers (000s)

% of All Viewing By DVR

% of DVR Viewing On Airdate

1

90210

CW

1,704

2,036

2,723

332

1,019

37.4%

32.6%

2

HEROES

NBC

5,246

6,436

8,121

1,190

2,875

35.4%

41.4%

3

DOLLHOUSE

FOX

2,865

3,436

4,392

571

1,527

34.8%

37.4%

4

GOSSIP GIRL

CW

1,964

2,450

2,996

486

1,032

34.4%

47.1%

5

TERMINATOR: SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES

FOX

2,930

3,492

4,399

562

1,469

33.4%

38.3%

6

ONE TREE HILL

CW

1,999

2,361

2,904

362

905

31.2%

40.0%

7

LOST

ABC

7,854

9,582

11,361

1,728

3,507

30.9%

49.3%

8

HOUSE

FOX

10,424

12,538

14,476

2,114

4,052

28.0%

52.2%

9

SMALLVILLE

CW

3,285

3,880

4,554

595

1,269

27.9%

46.9%

10

AMERICA’S TOP MODEL

CW

3,428

3,999

4,647

571

1,219

26.2%

46.8%

11

SUPERNATURAL

CW

2,886

3,283

3,911

397

1,025

26.2%

38.7%

12

24

FOX

9,626

11,306

12,911

1,680

3,285

25.4%

51.1%

13

CHUCK

NBC

5,027

5,741

6,658

714

1,631

24.5%

43.8%

14

HELL’S KITCHEN

FOX

6,084

7,045

7,925

961

1,841

23.2%

52.2%

15

BONES

FOX

8,128

9,291

10,573

1,163

2,445

23.1%

47.6%

16

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

NBC

3,137

3,560

4,046

423

909

22.5%

46.5%

17

MEDIUM

NBC

6,697

7,308

8,598

611

1,901

22.1%

32.1%

18

LIFE ON MARS

ABC

5,255

5,646

6,708

391

1,453

21.7%

26.9%

19

BIG BANG THEORY

CBS

8,340

9,764

10,613

1,424

2,273

21.4%

62.6%

20

APPRENTICE

NBC

6,421

7,198

8,136

777

1,715

21.1%

45.3%

–

The % of Total viewing by DVR table ranks which of the Top 150 broadcast shows [by Live+7 viewers] had thelargest % of viewing by DVR in their Live+7 audience numbers from viewers watching shows later on their digital video recorders (DVRs).

Definitions:

DVR (Time-shifted) Viewing – Program ratings for national sources are produced in three streams of data –Live, Live+Same Day(Live+SD) and Live+7 Day. Time shifted figures account for incremental viewing that takes place with DVRs which are currently in approximately 24.4% of all U.S. TV households. Live+Same Day(Live+SD) include viewing during the same broadcast day as the original telecast, with a cut-off of 3:00AM local time when meters transmit daily viewing to Nielsen for processing. Live+7 Day ratings include incremental viewing that takes place during the 7 days following a telecast.

Same Day DVR Viewers – How many people watched the show on their DVRs prior to 3AM the day following the airdate,

DVR Viewers – How many people watched the show on their DVRs within 7 days following the airdate

% of All Viewing By DVR – Of the total viewing of that particular episode, what percentage was done via DVR.

% of DVR Viewing On Airdate – Of the DVR viewing of that particular episode, what percentage was done prior to 3AM the day following the airdate.